Folding chair.



D. M. NEFF.

FOLDING CHAIR.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 24, 1911.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

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AT TESI [1y YEN 2'01? (57% Douglas 1 .15 55? 5 COLUMBIA PMNOCIRAPH C0WASHINGTON. n. c.

DOUGLAS M. NEFF, OF EAST CLEVELAND, OHIO.

FOLDING CHAIR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 24, 1911.

Serial No. 622,884.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DOUGLAS M. NEFF, a subject of Canada, residing atEast Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Folding Chairs, of whichthe following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in folding chairs, and theimprovement comprises an arrangement and construction of parts,substantially as herein shown and described and more particularlypointed out in the claims.

My object is to provide a stool or chair which may be folded socompactly that it can be carried in the average coat pocket, and on theother hand, be of ample size and strength when unfolded to safelysupport any person of average weight.

A further object is embodied in the slidable loop connection between theseat and its supporting arms, whereby the seat may be suspended parallelwith the arms to lie closely against the same and permit wrapping of theseat about the other chalr parts when folded, and also whereby unfoldingmovements of the arms will automatically cause the seat to assume astretched position on a horizontal plane for seating purposes.

Other objects are also invested in other details of construction ashereinafter more particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side view of my improvedchair unfolded for use, and Fig. 2 is an elevation thereof projected atright angles. Fig. 3 is a plan view of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a View of thechair folded with the seat partly wrapped or ready to wrap around thefolded chair parts, and Fig. 5 is a sectional view on line wm, Fig. 4.Figs. 6 and 7 are perspective views of opposite sides of the middleuniting plate for the arms and legs of the chair.

In detail. the chair comprises a single pair of leg members 2 made ofangle iron having sufiicient rigidity and strength to support severalhundred pounds weight and of a length of about ten inches over all. Eachleg 2 has a cross foot 3 of metal suitably secured thereon at its lowerend, and the upper end is rotatably secured by a bolt, screw, or rivet 4Within or upon a metal head comprising a middle plate 5 and two sideplates 6 of the same form and outline. Middle plate 5 is particularlyconstructed on one of its faces with downwardly-inclined stop orrest'shoulders 7 for legs 2, and these shoulders are formed midwaybetween the bolt or rivet openings 8, leaving the legs free to swingupwardly from a spreading position of rest (seen in Fig. 1) to a foldedcontacting position (seen in Fig. 4). However, the opposite face ofplate 5 is recessed and shouldered difierently, having upwardly inclinedshoulders 9 to limit the radial sweep of a pair of arms 10 which arealso rotatably secured by rivets 4 on plate 5, said arms when unfoldedor down being adapted to rest on shoulders 9 in a spreading position.The relative inclined rest positions of legs 2 and arms 10 are sayapproximately thirty and sixty degrees, respectively, viewed in respectto a vertical line. In other words, arms 10 have a greater spreadlaterally than legs 2 to suspend a reasonably long seat 11 of 'canvas orother fabric between their curved extremities 12. This is accomplishedby wrapping the opposite ends of the fabric seat around a wire 14; andclenching it in Patented Feb. 20, 1912.-

place by a metal ferrule 15, and by the use of wire yokes 16 which haveeye extremities 17 loosely engaged with wires 14ferrules 15 having anotch 18 approximately centrally bet-ween their ends, and wires 14extending beyond one end of the ferrules to permitv eye-extremities 17to sleeve uponthe wires. Yokes 16 are also particularly constructed withsemicircular bent portions 19 approximately opposite or on a centrallongitudinal line of seat 11, and the main stem 20 of the yokes are alsoinclined relatively to ferrules 15,being nearest thereto at their outerends. The advantage of this arrangement is apparent when unfolding ofthe chair occurs, and as hereinafter described. A set of links 21pivotally united in pairs between the respective legs 2 and arms 10assist in bracing the structure when unfolded and in use, and a pair ofseparable crossconnecting links 22 serve a like purpose between legs 2.

Now assuming that the chair is unfolded as shown in Fig. 1 and it isdesired to fold the same into a small compass, all that is needed in theway of preliminary preparation is to disconnect or separate links 22,and then fold legs 2 and arms 10 until opposite legs and arms meet asshown in Fig. lthe links 21 doubling-up like a jack knife. Inthis.operation, seat 11 is also doubled-up, but in so doing, it may bepushed or forced to one side, yokes 16 permitting this to be done untilcurved end 23 of each yoke is reached. Then as arms 10 approach or cometo a vertical position, the yokes and their connected ferrules mayassume a hanging position on vertical lines" curved ends 23 permittingthis angular change of relations. As thus suspended, seat 11 then standsin a dropped position to one side of the folded parts, and may bewrapped around the same to 'make a compact package of relatively smalldimensions. Now in opening or unfolding operations, the seat is firstunwrapped, and arms 10 and legs 2 then separated or unfolded by graspingthe outer ends by the hands. In so doing pull is broughtto bear uponseat 11 before complete unfolding of arms 10 is obtained, and as thispull is centered at rounded ends 23 of yokes 16 it follows that theyokes are drawn outwardly through the perforated ends of arms 10 untilthe seat is centrally alined with said arms and shifted to a horizontalplane with semi-circular portions 19 engaged as shown in Fig. 3.Inclined stem 20 facilitates this operation as the yoke slides throughextremities 12. Braces 21 also unfold automatically, and when bottombraces 22 are linked together, the chair is ready for use.

hat I claim is:

1. In a folding stool or chair, a set of folding arms and a folding seathaving slidable yoked connections therewith adapting the seat to beshifted to different angular planes when the chair is folded andunfolded.

2. In a folding stool' or chair, a set of folding arms, a folding seat,yokes for the seathaving slidable connection with said arms, and legsadapted to be folded substantially parallel with said arms.

3. In a folding stool or chair, folding arms, a flexible seat, and meansto rotatably connect the seat in slidable relation with said arms fromits transverse center to one edge, whereby the seat may be shiftedtransversely and also turned without detachment to wrap around the armswhen folded.

4. In a folding stool or chair, folding arms, a seat, yokes having bentextremities connected with said seat and slidably engaged with saidarms.

5. In a folding stool or chair, folding arms, a seat, and yokesconnecting said seat and arms having a main stem inclined relatively tothe median line of the seat between said arms.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

6. In a folding stool or chair, folding arms having perforated ends,aseat, cross rods secured at the ends of said seat, yokes havingeye-extremities engaged with said cross rods and provided with bentportions adapted to slidably engage said perforated arm ends.

7. In a folding stool or chair, folding arms having lateral projectingextremities, and a folding seat having end yokes slidably engaged withsaid extremities to permit the seat to be suspended therefrom eithercentrally between its longitudinal side edges or at one edge thereof.

8. In a folding stool. or chair, folding arms, a seat of pliablematerial and cross rods wrapped within the opposite ends thereof andferrules secured about said ends and rods, and yokes having eyes engagedwith said rods and slidably connected with said arms.

9. In a folding stool or chair, a head. having a pair of pivot membersand separate sets of legs and arms rotatably supported thereon, and aflexible seat having an elongated loop extending transversely at eitherend and slidably engaged with the extremities of said arms and adaptingthe seat to be rotated to a horizontal plane when the chair is unfoldedand to a vertical plane substantially parallel with said arms and legswhen folded.

10. In a folding stool or chair, a pair of legs, a pair of arms, asupporting plate having pivot members and separate stops for said legsand arms, cross feet on said legs, and a flexible seat having end loopsextending approximately from the transverse center of the seat to oneedge and slidably en gaged with said arms adapting the seat to be turnedto different planes in folding and unfolding operations.

11. In a folding stool or chair, a pair of le s having T-shaped ends, apair of arms having curved extremities and openings in said extremities,a head to rotatably support said legs and arms in folding relationhaving shouldered portions on opposite sides to provide stop rests forsaid arms and legs when unfolded, and a foldable seat stretched havingyoke members slidably mounted within the openings in said arms.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

DOUGLAS M. NEFF.

Witnesses R. B. Mosnn, E. M. FISHER.

